Chapter 192: Circumstances on all fronts
Within the tree island created by Shayleaf, four groups stood on separate parts of the island. Most of them had somewhat distressed expressions on their faces. Interestingly enough, the leaders and a few others among their ranks smiled in acceptance of their current situations, some even kneeling slightly before the figure standing at the center.
"Mistress Crimson Star Fang!" shouted the four de facto leaders of the groups in unison, bowing.
Shayleaf's three familiars stood behind her with various expressions on their faces as they looked at the surrounding individuals.
"Hahaha, alright guys! It's time to make preparations to deal with those people from the Aethalgard Dukedom. They'll certainly be making their move soon!" Shayleaf exclaimed in her usual animated manner.
"Hahaha, yes, oh great Mistress Crimson Star Fang! Blessed beauty alongside the gorgeous Daoist Heaven Star Eyes and the seductive Witch of the Killing Arrows! Oh, and… that hateful Daoist Blue Heavens Sword… Let us make preparations!!" shouted one of the de facto leaders, though he muttered the last part under his breath. This person was none other than a powerful Golden Lord of the Daemonorc Nation. Behind him stood the two missing platoons of Daemonorcs as well as several other previously captured Daemonorcs.
"Kyahaha! I'm all ready to crush those bastards from the Aethalgard Nation!" viciously exclaimed Gwarola with a sneer. He was the de facto leader of the many captured Serpent Shark Kingdom warriors.
"Guhuhu! I and these guys behind me are prepared to strike! Ain't that right, ah?" declared a Golden Lord from the Red Flounder Kingdom, a massive crimson brute whose heavy frame was covered in mottled scars and thick, roping muscle.
The final group was led by fishmen of the Aethalgard Kingdom. They each had mixed expressions on their faces. But overall…
"Haaah… how depressing. Hehehe… It's those bastards' fault for forcing my great self to move out as bait because of my despicable brother under the Third Imperial Minister's orders! Then under the orders of the divine-eyed goddess, Daoist Heaven Star Eyes, and Daoist Blue Heavens Sword, let us wipe those fools out!" shouted the de facto leader of the fourth group, his fury only growing with time. Originally, he was a Gold tier 4 expert, but for some reason he had broken through to become a Golden Lord after Elton released the sword seal he'd placed on him.
Truth be told, the combat power gathered on this island was terrifying. Every last one of them had been defeated by Elton, Christy, Shayleaf, or even Tongsheng, forced to serve them afterward. Altogether, they commanded six Golden Lords, nine Gold tier 4 experts, fourteen Gold tier 3 experts, and a wide range of experts spanning Silver tier up through Gold tier 2.
"I'm happy to see some of you fired up! Let's continue our preparations! Have our sea beast friends below start pulling the tree island toward that direction. My other preparations will be ready soon enough as well." Shayleaf declared with a bright smile, her eyes glowing beautifully. Her dazzling charm quickly enchanted all the Daemonorc men and women, their desires written plainly across their faces as they cheered.
Cromlin and Corvin were no different from the Daemonorcs, roaring with excitement, eager to follow her orders. Prawna, meanwhile, just rolled her eyes at their antics.
Some time later, the barrier-covered tree island began to set sail, enshrouded in a light mist that spread across the sea.
On the main island and across the surrounding seas, the primary battlefield erupted in full chaos. Explosions and attacks drowned the area in bloodshed. In the midst of the devastation, a four-way standoff unfolded between the top brass of the four nations. Their auras crashed against each other, none daring to move carelessly as they searched for openings, even from a distance.
The Umankan Governor radiated a fierce yet calming presence, his Mortal Lord aura pressing outward as his sharp eyes stayed locked on his main enemy: the Daemonorc King. The massive orc-like man reeked of filth, his disgusting demeanor amplified by the rotting heads of two Umankan women swinging from his neck. His smug grin oozed arrogance as his own Mortal Lord aura poured forth.
On the other side were the kings of the Red Flounder Kingdom and the Serpent Shark Kingdom, glaring at each other with barely restrained hatred. Their subordinates, all top brass, exuded killing intent as they held their lines.
"Weeehehehe! Umankan trash! You should've stayed in your corner of the island. Now your people will suffer violently—the same way I pounced on what was left of these two women here! Weeehehehe!" The Daemonorc King's disgusting laughter echoed.
The Umankan Governor stayed calm, silently glaring. In truth, though the provocation infuriated him, those women had belonged to a rival Umankan faction, so their deaths hardly touched his heart. Still, he feigned quiet fury to create an opportunity, waiting for the chance to strike.
He had already heard the reports—how the Daemonorc armies were going all out in desperate assaults since the war's beginning. It was hard to say how other fronts were faring, but one thing was clear: desperation made them reckless. He gritted his teeth thinking of one of the two other Umankan Mortal Lords, a man likely waiting to use the chaos to stir trouble. But even he would hold back for now.
Then came transmissions. News spread quickly, shaking both sides.
The Umankan Governor's face shifted through shock, joy, and wariness. The Daemonorc King, by contrast, twisted with rage. Both could faintly sense the aftershocks of a Mortal Lord clash somewhere distant on the island—an exchange that lasted barely two minutes before vanishing.
Moments later, the true news hit.
"Damnit all! Enough of this! Daemonorc army, slaughter every one of these bastards! Weeehooo! Serpent Sharks, put in more effort! The Umankans got outside help—we must deal with them!" the Daemonorc King howled in fury.
The Umankan Governor smirked. "Go!" he barked, launching an all-out assault now that his enemy had shown weakness.
Meanwhile, on Elton's battlefield, shock lingered on many faces. Long story short: his side dominated completely.
One of the Daemonorc Nation's three Mortal Lord guardians arrived as reinforcement, only to be intercepted by one of the two Mortal Lords of the Umankans. Their clash spread devastation in all directions, soon joined by reinforcements from another Daemonorc troop—only to be dragged into the destruction as well.
Elton and Tongsheng were key.
But halfway through, something truly unexpected occurred.
During the clash, the Daemonorc Mortal Lord suddenly froze. A horrific dread flooded his mind. A suffocating pressure smashed into him from a short distance away. His instincts screamed as his eyes locked onto a breathtakingly beautiful woman with dazzling eyes.
Christy.
Perhaps it was his Orc-like instincts burning with lust, perhaps the sheer might of her gaze, or perhaps it was simply being caught off guard by an ability he'd never faced. Whatever the case, the Daemonorc Mortal Lord lost focus completely, leaving his defenses wide open.
The Umankan Mortal Lord didn't hesitate. His explosive strike landed, carving a grievous wound. The Daemonorc reeled, terrified—just in time for something worse.
—Eternal Dawn Sealing Strike—
The sword came like lightning. The Daemonorc Mortal Lord couldn't react before his injuries deepened and his Mortal Shedding Realm body suddenly began to regress, sealed back into a lower realm. Screaming, he fled in horror, using a blood-sacrificial art to fuel his escape.
The Umankan Mortal Lord, stunned, filed away his questions for later and turned back to the reinforcements. Very few understood what had actually happened; they only saw that after the Daemonorc Mortal Lord froze inexplicably and was wounded, Elton had already struck with lightning speed, ending the clash.
Time passed, and troops reorganized to aid other fronts.
On another battlefield, a similar event unfolded. A second Daemonorc Mortal Lord fought against the other Umankan Mortal Lord, only to freeze just like the first when Christy's Kokon Tengan shone brightly. This time he was struck brutally by his opponent—and then ambushed by the first Umankan Mortal Lord for good measure. Though he fled with grevious wounds, truthfully his condition was far better than his fellow. He still retained his Mortal Lord realm, unlike the one Elton had sealed.
Soon, Umankan forces branched off toward several battlefields. One contingent moved to intercept the Aethalgard Dukedom's troops, spotted preparing a pincer assault against the Umankans and the Red Flounder Kingdom.
Elton, his companions, Obianuju, the Obidie, and other Umankan troops, however, were directed toward Shayleaf's position. She had moved her tree island to launch her own strike.
At least, that should have been the case. But when they arrived across the seas, they saw a tragic battlefield already concluded—swaths of Aethalgard experts lying dead in the waters.